New Jersey’s Agnes Zhelesnik will leave a last impression on her students. Having just celebrated her 100th birthday, Ms. Zhelesnik, or “Granny” as her students call her is the oldest working teacher in America.

Since the advent of teacher freedom of choice in Michigan, the Michigan Education Association (MEA) has stopped at nothing to keep members in the fold. According to new reports by teachers and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, one local union is publishing the names of former members in their newsletters.
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It's out with the chicken nuggets, fries, and burgers, and in with the tofu, black beans, and veggies for Public School 244, in Flushing, New York. Opened in 2008, this school was founded on linking academics to a healthy lifestyle. It is now making headlines for going completely vegetarian.

Ms. Rose Gilbert, a 94-year-old Los Angeles resident, just recently retired from teaching after 63 years of service. While she has not been officially named the country's oldest teacher, she certainly ranks among the most senior.

Good teachers know how to keep students' attention, maintain their enthusiasm, and have them leave the class feeling energized. Sara Wright, a 5th grade teacher in Indiana found a way to accomplish these objectives, and it doesn't involve keeping students in their seats.
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For years students used the popular health class slogan, "Hugs not drugs" with their friends and peers. However, recent bans on friendly hugs in New Jersey and North Carolina public schools are challenging this old adage and raising questions over appropriate displays of affection in schools.
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Keeping students in school has been a problem in school districts nationwide. In urban areas, studies have shown that just 50% of students graduate with a high school diploma. Across the country, efforts to curb school absenteeism and truancy vary from extravagant to practical, with a plethora of measures in between.
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Large urban school districts often struggle with low student performance and dismal graduation rates. Washington, D.C. public schools are no exception and the District is often listed as one of the poorest performing school systems in the country. In an effort to combat these systemic issues, school leaders have instituted a controversial new program that pays students to attend summer classes in order to get a jump start on the school year.
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It should come as no surprise to educators that the National Education Association (NEA) has become the biggest contributor to partisan politics in the country. Year after year, the NEA spends millions on partisan causes and elections at the federal, state, and local levels, and takes liberal policy positions on issues ranging from immigration to gay marriage. Every summer, the NEA uses their July convention to pass a series of controversial resolutions aimed at solidifying their political power. While the issues are diverse, many have nothing to do with education or helping students in the classroom.
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In a difficult financial climate where states and school districts are struggling to buy supplies and fund educational programs, it might come as a shock to hard-working teachers to find out that union leaders are raking in astronomical salaries on par with that of the average corporate CEO. According to several reports, NEA and AFT leaders–both nationally and statewide–are pulling in nearly half a million dollars apiece each year.
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Last month, as the multi-state Mega Millions lottery climbed to a record $656 million, Americans everywhere were fantasizing about the possibilities of winning the enormous jackpot. According to polls, the majority of people would most likely quit their jobs and lead a life of luxury. This wasn't the case for three public school workers from Maryland, who last week claimed their winnings with a vow to stay in the classroom for the sake of their students.
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There are few topics more polarizing than gun control and the proper usage of hand guns, especially when children are involved. According to the National Safety Council, nearly nine children are killed daily due to firearms. While the statistics vary from year to year, the debate over gun safety and appropriate use of firearms for children, if any, rages on. Despite the heated dialogue, for students at Floyd Dryden Middle School in Juneau, Alaska, gun safety, handling and target practice is just part of the everyday curriculum during Alaska's Department of Fish & Game Hunter Education and Firearm Safety Course.
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While non-education related and politically and or financially motivated partnerships are the norm with the National Education Association, last week's bizarre initiative was turning heads in the blogosphere. The NEA's Health Information Network (HIN) and the Create Coalition announced a partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in the newly dubbed "Be a Star," social justice and anti-bulling campaign.
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In light of the new focus on childhood obesity led by First Lady Michelle Obama and her "Let's Move" campaign, a new technology out of Texas that is designed to monitor a child's calorie intake while sitting in the lunch room has sparked a national debate.
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Idaho State Superintendent Tom Luna experienced quite the scare this week, waking up to an act of vandalism in his driveway. In the wake of his proposed bold education reform agenda, Mr. Luna has received quite the union push back to say the least. Luna's truck was left spray painted and the tires slashed Tuesday morning resulting in fingers pointing in the direction of the Idaho Education Association, Luna's biggest critic.
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We often mention advances in technology on the AAE blog. Stories ranging from students organizing online study groups to learning Chinese through remote video conferencing in Shanghai have all been making national headlines. This week a sick boy in Texas is all over the blogosphere for a new technology that lets him attend class without ever leaving his home.
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We've had a brutal winter on the east coast this year, causing countless snow days especially in the ill-prepared southern part of the country. A few schools that have experienced too many snow days are landing national attention for their proposed way of making up instructional time. Schools near Charlotte, North Carolina, have decided to make up for lost time by teaching on the Martin Luther King holiday, drawing criticism from the NAACP.

This week, an elementary school in Compton, California is receiving national attention after a group of parents banded together to force improvements at the failing institution. Yelling "yes we can!" and "si se puede!" a busload of parents on Tuesday became the first in California to try to force reforms at their children's school using a new law designed to help parents take back schools.
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What would school be like without "F"s or consequences for cheating? Students at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, VA are finding out, as their school has determined there is no need for the failing grades in their grading system.